Deep Palace Pet Peach Blossom Flawless

The voice of the blessing chant had no words or melody, only the beautiful voice and the melodious tune of a nightingale. It seemed as if I had just hummed the tune unintentionally.

The singing sound is as charming as the gurgling of running water and as jingling as the sound of dewdrops falling on green bamboo leaves.

The sound of soft singing was gentle and affectionate, singing to all things in the world. The palace maids outside the wall passed by there and unconsciously slowed down their steps. More and more birds stopped on the branches and listened quietly. Even the butterflies flying over the wall could not bear to leave.

The people who were discussing the painting fell silent at some point, concentrating on listening to the low chanting sound coming from there.

Shi Binyuan looked at Lan Shuren calmly, and sure enough, he saw that Lan Shuren was standing there motionless.

Until the sound of singing could no longer be heard, the lingering sound seemed to still linger in everyone's ears.

Prince Ding was the first to regain his composure. He glanced at the absent-minded Prince Kang and broke the silence, "Ahem, Master, your insights have resolved my doubts for many days..."

After a short while, the sounds of loud conversation resumed under the octagonal pavilion.

After Lan Shuren and Shi Binyuan left, he couldn't help but look back at the tall palace wall. It was beautiful! Let's just take that chanting as the best farewell to myself! Goodbye, Qingwu! We will meet again one day!

This time, Mrs. Qian also returned to Miaoling Palace with Qian.

However, because Qian Hui was favored by the emperor, he was very busy all day long, and Mrs. Qian usually went to bed with her little daughter Xiaoguai.

It was a rare day that Qian Hui returned to the dormitory early, and Mrs. Qian was already asleep.

Qian Hui looked at the mother and daughter hugging each other and couldn't help but smile. He cautiously reached out his hand to touch Mrs. Qian's temples. Mrs. Qian seemed to notice, frowning slightly and moving impatiently. Qian Hui's fingers froze and he dropped his hand in dismay.

The next day, Mrs. Qian took her little daughter to Jingyou Pavilion to pay a visit to Lan Qingwu.

After a round of greetings, the two took their seats. Lan Qingwu ordered Ruhan to serve tea, while Xiaoguai played games with his wet nurse and Ruping in the hall.

Lan Qingwu looked at Xiaoguai's carefree appearance, but a layer of sadness covered his eyes: "Madam Qian, I really trouble you with what I asked you to do earlier."

Madam Qian also sighed softly: "I am not afraid of the trouble, but I am afraid that my ability is limited. Qingciyuan has already established a rule and it is not difficult to do so. However, Lan Yan's daughter Nian Nian, even though I often bring Xiaoguai to visit the child, the child is getting quieter day by day. I am afraid that..."

Lan Qingwu was silent for a moment. "Jiang Qi must be worried. Nian Nian no longer has a mother, and with her grandmother being like that, there's no female elder who truly cares about her. Madam Qian, I'm sorry to trouble you these days. After I give birth to the baby, I'll take Nian Nian to live in the palace for a while. I won't let her live like this forever."

Madam Qian said with emotion: "Lan Yan is lucky to have a good friend like you."

"Lan Yan is unfortunate again, encountering such a disaster. Perhaps... the women of this dynasty have it very hard!"

Madam Qian hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Empress Yi, I can see that His Majesty loves you very much. I want to tell you that if you don't want His Majesty to take in another new person, you must let His Majesty know your refusal, even if you can't stop it. Don't be tolerant and don't pretend to be magnanimous!"

Lan Qingwu was surprised: "Mrs. Qian, you..."

Madam Qian laughed at herself, "I'm only talking about myself. My general and I are childhood sweethearts. He was born a commoner, but fortunately, he joined the army and met His Majesty. He was favored by His Majesty and rose through the ranks. We agreed when we got engaged that there would be no third parties involved! But as the general gradually rose in power, I kept retreating, feeling that this man's heart belonged to me alone, between his interactions with the ministers outside, His Majesty's rewards, my mother-in-law's crying and pressuring, and the general's face.

"Now, I have tasted the bitter fruit. I didn't insist at the time and pretended to be magnanimous and remained silent. The general's heart... no longer belongs to me."

Lan Qingwu couldn't help but clench his palms. When he first arrived at the palace, he only thought about forbearance, concessions and tolerance. He even deceived himself and blinded his eyes, thinking that as long as he couldn't see or hear it, it didn't happen!

But how could it be possible? With so many women in the harem, how could she be sure that the emperor would only be attracted to one person in his life?

Half an hour later, Mrs. Qian returned to her bedroom.

After Mrs. Qian coaxed her little daughter into a nap, she sat in front of the dressing table and quietly combed her long hair.

Qian Hui stood behind Mrs. Qian without her knowing when. He reached out and gently stroked her hair.

Madam Qian tilted her head calmly and pulled her hair out of Qian Hui's hand. She stood up and prepared to leave, but Qian Hui grabbed Madam Qian's arm and said, "Madam, Hui Niang, can you please stop being angry? I only brought you and the children with me this time to Miaoling Palace."

Madam Qian pulled her arm free. "General, what you said is all Hui Niang's fault. I never thought that Chu Ji could be compared with me and the children. Do you want me to thank her for giving me the opportunity?"

"I did not mean that……"

"General!" Madam Qian looked at Qian Hui sternly, "Stop deceiving yourself! Ah Hui, you said you just felt sorry for her, but there are many more pitiful people in the mansion than her. Isn't Chunying, who was bullied by Chu Ji, more pitiful than her? You clearly know that Chu Ji is a person of low character. She pretends to be weak, frames others, and has no good intentions towards our children. She is two-faced and pitiful to you, but you wholeheartedly protect her and favor her. You make me feel that she is more important to you than anyone else! Ah Hui, your heart is no longer mine. In fact, you no longer belong to me. My Ah Hui - I can't come back!"

Qian Hui's face stiffened. "Hui Niang, you're being too serious. When did I ever let her surpass you?"

"In fact, when you compared her to me, she had already surpassed me in your heart! General, I am ready to move out of the general's mansion. I don't want to fool around anymore and live a life of intrigue every day. That pretentious Chu Ji is not worthy of being compared with me, so I will not spend even a little time on her. If you still consider the relationship between the children, then don't stop me. There are no divorced women in Dasheng, only divorced women. For the sake of the children, please let your Chu Ji bear with it for a while. I have to continue to occupy the position of the legal wife."

Qian Hui looked at Madam Qian in disbelief. "Hui Niang, why do you have to do this? How will the children cope with this? I will never agree with you doing this!"

Madam Qian's heart ached, but she still said, "It's for the children. The eldest and second son are boys, and I believe the general will raise them well. I will take care of Xiaoguai myself. General, you don't have to worry about Xiaoguai not being able to marry into a good family with a powerless mother like me. In this imperial city, there are many powerful people. How can any woman be truly happy?"

"What do you mean? Don't you want Xiaoguai to get married?"

Madam Qian said self-deprecatingly, "Marry? General, you and I were childhood sweethearts, and we've been together for decades. So what? How can it compare to the every frown and smile of a charming concubine? When Xiaoguai grows up, she can marry if she wants. If she doesn't want to, I won't force her! General, this world is so unfair to women! I just want Xiaoguai to live the life she wants."

How could Qian Hui accept this? He grabbed Madam Qian's shoulders and said, "You can't be so selfish! I will never agree to this! As for Chu Ji, I will keep her in her own yard and she won't get in our way."

Madam Qian slowly pulled Qian Hui's hand away. "Ah Hui! You should understand your own heart! I, Zhao Hui Niang, have been married to you for so many years, and I haven't done you a single wrong! When you were down and out, I suffered every bit of hardship we endured. Even when you were in power, I never had a single day of peace. The crying mother-in-law, the successive concubines, your silence... Maintaining this family for so long has exhausted me. This is completely different from the life I had hoped for!"

"But which noble lady in this imperial city doesn't live like this?"

"I have never been a noble lady in this imperial city."

Qian Hui felt an unprecedented panic in his heart: "Hui Niang, what do you want me to do so that I won't leave this home?"

Madam Qian said calmly, "You don't have to do this. I won't take the housekeeper or Aunt Zhao away. This general's mansion won't fall apart. I've already told them everything."